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'Tragic morning' in Lowell as boy, 3, dies in fire

Smoke rises from a fire at 55-59 Parker St. in Lowell on Friday morning. Three-year-old Hunter Knox (at right with his father, Ryan) died in the blaze that left three others injured. See video and a slide show at lowellsun.com. photos: left, sun/Chris Lisinski; right, courtesy

The house across the street was in flames. "I went to check on the family first, and all I heard was, 'There's a son in there! My son is in there!' " said Em, 20, who reached for the phone and called 911. She handed her jacket to a resident who had escaped the building.

The blaze at 55-59 Parker St., which broke out just before 6:30 a.m. Friday, left a 3-year-old boy dead.
Hunter Knox died in the fire, his grandfather, Douglas Knox, confirmed Friday night.

"A sweet, lovable little boy who will be sorely missed," he told The Sun.

Ajoint investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blaze. Responders found a "heavy volume of fire coming from all floors," Fire Chief Jeff Winward said at a morning press conference.

Firefighters attempt to breach a wall at 55-59 Parker St. in Lowell while battling a three-alarm blaze Friday morning. See video at lowellsun.com. Sun photos /Chris Lisinski

It took close to an hour to get the fire under control, and heavy smoke poured out over the neighborhood.

Because of the flames, Winward said, firefighters had trouble getting to the boy, who was found in a back bedroom. The boy was eventually pulled out and transported to Lowell General Hospital, but he did not survive. The Middlesex District Attorney's Office has not released the boy's identity, but The Sun learned from the grandfather that it was Hunter Knox. That information will be released following identification by the Office of the Medical Examiner. "This is a tragic morning for us," District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

Two other residents, an 8-year-old boy and an adult male, suffered "moderate" injuries in the fire and were taken to Lowell General; they were later released Friday.

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A Lowell firefighter was transported and treated for smoke inhalation, and he is in good condition, Winward said; he was also released from the hospital on Friday.

Officials from the DA's office, Lowell Fire Department, Lowell Police Department, City Manager's office and state Fire Marshal's Office are conducting an investigation. They said the investigation is in "preliminary" stages and has not yet determined the cause of the blaze.

Investigators are still looking at details of the building and whether it was properly permitted to have that many residents.

City tax records say the property is a three-family dwelling with 14 rooms, including seven bedrooms and three bathrooms, assessed at a value of $198,000. John Petros Sr., who lives at 1320 Mammoth Road in Dracut, is listed as owner. Petros was at the scene several hours before the press conference and told reporters he believed there were nine residents in the building.

A number of Lowell police officers were also on the scene to help maintain control. Winward said firefighters experienced some challenges while responding due to flames, smoke and frozen fire hydrants. Winward said the boy's death is emotional for the department.

Hunter Knox with his father, Ryan, in undated family photo.
courtesy photo

"It's the worst thing that can happen to a firefighter," Winward said. "Many of them have children of their own that are the same age. They tried as hard as they could and they got the child out, but unfortunately, despite their heroic efforts, the child died."
In the wake of the tragedy for the Knox family, a GoFundMe page was created. In only 9 hours on Friday, 140 people raised more than $10,000.

"As you can imagine, Ryan (Hunter's father) and his family are devastated and are now dealing with the aftermath," the page reads. "Please find it in your hearts to support Ryan and his family during this tragic time by donating to this page.

"100% of the funds raised from this page will go directly to Ryan and his family to aid them in rebuilding their home and life.

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